CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte women’s basketball will head out of the country in addition to a couple games at power conference schools as part of a 12-game non-conference schedule as announced Wednesday by head coach Cara Consuegra. The dozen contests include five inside Halton Arena, where the 49ers posted a 10-4 mark last season to extend their streak to 12-straight years of double-digit victories.

Charlotte will visit Riviera Maya, Mexico, November 27-29 for the Triple Crown Cancun Challenge Mayan Tournament. The three-day event at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya all-inclusive resort will pit the Niners against opponents Montana, Wake Forest and Princeton on consecutive days as part of the overall eight-team tournament.

It marks the 49ers’ first trip outside of the continental United States since competing in the 2009 Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas, and the first during Consuegra’s tenure. Overall, Charlotte has participated in previous two international trips, which also includes the 2004 San Juan Shootout (San Juan, Puerto Rico). The Niners also left the contiguous 48 states for Hawai’i and the 2001 Paradise Classic in Honolulu.

Back on the mainland, Charlotte will play host to ACC-foe North Carolina State in its home opener Nov. 18, along with other Carolinas-area opponents Elon (Nov. 21), Charleston Southern (Dec. 7), Presbyterian (Dec. 18) and Davidson (Dec. 21). North Carolina State, who comes to the Queen City for the first time since 1983, reached the NCAA Tournament First Round last year, while the Presbyterian matchup will serve as the program’s annual Education Day.

The 49ers begin the season on the road, traveling to Lynchburg, Virginia, to face Liberty Nov. 14 in a rematch of last year’s opener inside Halton Arena.

Charlotte meets SEC regular-season champion and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 participant South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., Dec. 4 as well as Pac-12 member Utah in Salt Lake City to end the non-conference slate Dec. 29. It will mark the Niners’ first meeting with the Utes in women’s basketball and the fifth opponent (Arizona, Colorado, Southern California, UCLA) from the league overall.

The 49ers will also squeeze in a mid-month trip to Muncie, Ind., to face Ball State Dec. 15 in the second all-time matchup against the Cardinals.

Overall, the schedule features five postseason foes from a year ago, including NCAA Tournament adversaries North Carolina State and South Carolina. Princeton, Montana and Ball State all reached the WNIT in March. In addition, five opponents tallied 20-win campaigns in 2013-14 and seven finished .500 or better during the year.

Charlotte returns three starters and 10 letterwinners for Consuegra’s fourth season on the bench in 2013-14. A trio of newcomers joins the squad as the 49ers seek to extend their own postseason run to 13-straight seasons, a feat matched currently by only 12 other schools nationally.

Game times for all contests, home and away, will be announced at a later date.